reports that we have. mount rowe ski resort 80-mile-an-hour wind gust reported there, and, yes, the rainfall totals as much as 11 inches or thereabouts, and as we go into the next several days, it's going to be one deluge after the other. watch this. here comes the fest wave. already moving through. no break, and then we go into saturday and into sunday. another storm system moves on shore. ashleigh, it looks like they're just kind of lined up all across the pacific. >> oh, gosh. i hope things get better for them soon. that is not nice to see. karen, thank you for that, and thank you, everyone, for watching newsroom to me. i'm going to pass the baton over to "newsroom international." >> welcome to "newsroom international." i'm suzanne malveaux. president obama is taking his deal on the road and to the american people. he is going to be making

remarks. shortly this is going to happen in pennsylvania. we'll bring it to you live when it happens. and protesters flocking back to cairo's tahrir square. the anger about the president's power grab is intensifying after a mostly islamic assembly rushed to pass a draft constitution early this morning. the documents will be presented tomorrow to president mohammed morsi for his signature. reza sayah is overlooking tahrir square. we understand they are planning what they are calling a million man demonstration that has been called. give us a sense why are people still protest and what do we expect in the next 24 hours, the days to come? >> reporter: well, they're protesting because they're angry with president morsi, his dekoreas and how the drafting of this constitution has unfolded, and there doesn't soop seem to be an end to the protest. they're back here in big numbers. tens of thousands of them here in tahrir square. we're going to show you what it

looks like at this hour. i think one of the outcomes of the 2011 egyptian revolution was that egyptians became very good in protesting, so it doesn't matter what people are fighting for here. it seems they like to come out and free-throws the opposition factions that are back here in tahrir. these are the liberals, the seculars. we were just down there. we saw a lot of women, women's rights activists who don't like how this constitution was drafted. they don't believe they were well represented in the panel that drafted this constitution, and they're demanding that president morsi anulls the draft of this constitution and starts over again, suzanne. at this point the president giving no education that he is going to back away from his position. >> all right. reza sayah, thank you. >> the president is speak now in pen been, talking about the importance of negotiations not going over the fiscal cliff. let's listen in. >> that ends up on store shelves

in 30 countries is stamped made in america, and that's something to be proud of. that's something to be proud of. >> by the way, i hope the camera folks have a chance for take a look at some of the k'necs, including that flag made of them. joe biden was in costco. he wanted buy some of this stuff, but i told him he had too much work to do. i wasn't going to have him building roller coasters all day long. now, of course, santa delivers everywhere. i have been keeping my own naughty and nice list for washington, so you should keep your eye on who gets some k' necs this year. some members of congress will get them, and there will be some who don't.

[ applause ] >> this is a wonderful time of year. it's been a few weeks since a long election finally came to an end, and obviously i couldn't be more honored to be back in the white house, but i'm already missing the time that i spent on the campaign visiting towns like this and talking to folks like you. >> love you. >> i love you back. you know what, one of the benefits of traveling and getting out of the white house is it gives you a chance to have a conversation with the american people about what kind of country do we want to be and what kind of country do we want to leave to our kids. i believe america only thrives when we have a strong and growing middle class, and i believe we're at our best when everybody who works hard has a chance to get ahead. that's what i believe in.

i know that's what the founders of this company believe as well. we were talking about these guys' dad who i understand just passed away at the age of 101. these guys have good genes in addition to inventive minds. the story of generations starting businesses, hiring folks, making sure that if you work hard, you can get ahead, that's what america is all about. that's at the heart of the plan that i have been talking about all year. i want to reward manufacturers like this one and small businesses that create jobs here in the united states not overseas. i want to -- [ applause ] >> by the way, this is a company -- one of the few companies in the toy industry that have aggressively moved jobs back here.

you know, that's a great story to tell. we got the best workers in the world and the most productive workers in the world, and so we need champions for american industry creating jobs here in the united states. i. to give more americans the chance to earn the skills of biz that people are looking for right now, and i want to give our children the kind of education that they need in the 21st century. i want america to lead the world in research and technology and clean energy. i want to put people back to work rebuilding our roads and our bridges and our schools, and i want to do all this while bringing down our deficits in a balanced and responsible way. now -- [ applause ] >> on this last point we probably heard a lot of talk in

washington and in the media about the deadlines that we're facing on jobs and taxes and investment. this is not some run of the mill debate. this isn't about which political party can come out on top in negotiations. we've got important decisions to make, and they'll have a real impact on businesses and families all across the country. our ultimate goal, our long-term goal is to get our long-term deficit under control in a way that is balanced and is fair. that would be good for businesses, for our economy, for future generations. i believe both parties can and will work together in the coming weeks to get that done. we know how that gets done. we're iffing to have to raise a little more revenue. we got to cut on the spending we don't need, building on the trillion dollars of spending cuts we've already made, and if we combine those two things, we can create a path where america is paying its bills while still

being able to make investments and the things we need to grow like education and infrastructure. so we know how to do that, but in washington nothing is easy, so, you know, there's going to be some prolonged negotiations, and all of us are going to have to get out of our comfort zones to make that happen. i'm willing to do that. i'm hopeful that the members of congress in both parties are willing to do that as well. we can solve these problems. but where the clock is really ticking right now is on middle class taxes. at the end of the year middle class taxes that are currently in place are set to expire. middle class tax cuts that are currently in place are set to expire. there are two things that can happen. if congress does nothing, every family in america will see their income taxes automatically go up

on january 1st. every family. everybody here you'll see your taxes go up on january 1st. i'm assuming that doesn't sound too good to you. that's sort of like the lump of coal you get for christmas. that's a scrooge christmas. a typical middle class family of four would see their income taxes go up by $2,200. that's for a typical family. it would be more for some folks. that's money a lot of families just can't afford to lose. that's less money to buy gas, less money to buy groceries. in some cases it means tougher xhoisz between paying the rent and saving for college. it means less money to buy more k' nects. yeah. just the other day an economist said that if income taxes go up

on the middle class, people will spend nearly $200 billion less in stores and on-line. when folks are buying fewer clothes or cars or toys, that's not goods for our businesses. it's not good for our economy. it's not good for employment. that's one path. congress does nothing. we don't deal with this looming tax hike on middle class families, and starting in january everybody gets hit with this big tax hike and businesses suddenly see fewer customers, less demand. the economy, which we've been fighting for four years to get out of this, you know, incredible economic crisis that we had, it starts stalling again. that's one path. the good news is there's a second option. right now congress can pass a law that would prevent a tax hike on the first $250,000 of

everybody's income. everybody. that means 98% of americans, 97% of small businesses wouldn't see their income taxes go up by a single dime. right? because 98% of americans make $250,000 a year or less. 97% of small businesses make $250,000 a year or less. if youay mix taxes don't go up for any income above $250,000, the vast majority of americans, they don't see a tax hike. here's the thing. even the top 2%, even folks who make more than $250 on,000, they would still keep their tax cut on the first $250,000 of income. they would still be better off for them too for us to go ahead and get that done. families would have a sense of security going into the new year. companies like this one would know what to xwp in terms of planning for next year and the

year after. that means people's jobs would be secure. the sooner congress gets this done, the sooner our economy will get a boost. it would then give us in washington more time to work together on that long-range plan to bring down deficits in a balanced way. tax reform, working on entitlements, and asking the wealthiest americans to pay a little bit more so we can keep investing in things like education and research that make us strong. those are the choices that we have. and understand, this was a central question in the election. maybe the central question in the election. you remember had. we talked about this a lot. it wasn't like this should come to any surprise to anybody. we had debates about it. there were a lot of tv commercials about it. at the end of the day a clear majority of americans,

democrats, republicans, independents, they agreed with a balanced approach to deficit reduction and making sure that middle class taxes don't go up. folks agreed to that. now, the good news is we're starting to see a few republicans coming around to it too. i'm talking about republicans in congress, so the reason i'm here is because i want the american people to urge congress soon in the next week, the next who weeks to begin the work we have by doing what we all agree on. >> both parties fwrae that we should extend the middle class tax cuts. we've got some disagreements about the highend tax cuts, right? ? republicans don't want to raise taxes on folks like me. i think i can pay a little bit more to make sure that kids go k go to college and we can build roads and invest in nih so we're finding cures for alzheimer's,

and that's a disagreement that we're going to have and we have to sort out, but we already all agree we save on making sure that middle class taxes don't go up. let's get that done. let's go ahead and take the fear out for the vast majority of american families so they don't have to worry about $2,000 coming out of their pockets starting next year. the senate has already passed a bill to keep income tax from going up on middle class families. that's already passed the senate. your members of congress, other democrats in the house, they're ready to go. they're ready to vote on that same thing. if we can just get a few house republicans on board, we can pass the bill in the house. it will land on my desk, and i am ready. i've got a bunch of pens ready to sign this bill. i'm ready to sign it. i'm ready to sign it.

there are no shortage of pens in the white house, and i carry one around for an emergency just many case. just waiting for the chance to use it to sign this bill to make sure people's taxes don't go up. don't thank me yet because i haven't signed it. i need some help from congress. the key is, though, that the american people have to be involved. it's not going to be enough for me to just do this on my own, so i'm hopeful that both sides are going to come together and do the right thing. we all know that you can't take anything for granted when it comes to washington. let's face it. that's why aim going to be asking for all of you to make your voices heard over the next few days and the next couple of weeks. i need you to remind members of congress, democrats and

republicans, to not get bogged down in a bunk of partisan bickering, but let's go ahead and focus on the people who sent us to washington and make sure that we're doing the right thing by them. i want you to call. i want you to send an e-mail, post on their facebook wall. if you tweet, then use a hash tag we're calling my2k. not y2k. my2k. all right. >> listening to president obama out of hatfield, pennsylvania. he is at a toy company that makes toys similar to leggos, children's toys. he wants to bring his case directly to the american people to travel to be there in front of real folks to make his case for avoiding the fiscal cliff and also his treasury secretary as well going up on the hill talking to members of congress essentially putting forward his plan that would require tax hikes for the wealthiest

americans. it is something that republicans are not pleased with. we expect republicans' response very soon. we're iffing to bring that to you live. if you would like to continue listening to the speech, go to cmn.com/live and continue to listen to the president. up next we are also focussing on another story. each year thousands of young british girls lured into a world of sex abuse. we're going to take a look at how predators, they're using gifts, alcohol, social media to gain the trust of their victims. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso.

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president obama taking his fiscal cliff fight with republicans on the road now. you saw he was just finished speaking at a toy factory company. this is in suburban mrefl. he is shaking hands with folks, doing the rope line. he is pushing his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff. is he standing firm on raising taxes for the wealthiest americans. want to bring in our chief white house correspondent jessica yell toin give us a breakdown of

exactly what he has put on the table here because we know that both sides, they start off strong. they start off with the best offer they got, the strongest offer they got, and clearly, the republicans not quite happy about it. what is he offering? >> it's sort of a starting position from the white house. what secretary geithner laid out when he was visiting capitol hill yesterday was the headline $1.6 trillion in new taxes as part of their overall vision to increase those taxes for people making $250,000 more, but that also includes some changes to how much people can deduct, closing loopholes. increasing taxes for dividends and capital gains and some other things. then some other aspects of the wish list from the president. $50 billion in new stimulus spending next year, and then in return they would find $400 billion in cuts to medicare and other entitlements to be worked

out. now, that is a starting position. you know, that sort of is the white house basically calling republicans bluff, if you will, saying, look, you guys haven't come out with your own proposal. we're going to start high, come on the with what we want. now show us what you got. the republicans hate it. they're saying it's ridiculous. it's an overreach by the white house, so they're sort of in the standoff, and it's all in republican estcourt to see what they counter with. >> it's interesting now because before everything was behind closed doors. this is all playing out publicly. you have the president there in pennsylvania. he is talking to real people. he is at a toy manufacturing place. then you have the republicans taking to the floor criticizing the plan. i want you to hear. this is very direct and very straight here from congressman ted coe of texas. >> this tax hike will hurt small businesses that provide 67% of the jobs in this country. that may fund the government for a short time. then what's the plan? stimulus 2.0. because the first stimulus

worked so well? that was a disaster as well. we have a $16 trillion deficit and the president wants to spend more money. are you kidding me? >> all right, jess. what do the serious negotiations take place here? that he puts an offer on the table to secretary geithner. the republicans are now angry. where is the next step here? >> well, you know, it's up to the republicans to come back with something, and now we're waiting to see what their next move will be. you know, the republicans' position is this was an unreasonable offer and it does not balance out with enough spending cuts. they want to refocus on spending cuts instead of tax increases. we should expect to see something from republicans that will be more heavily focused on the cuts. you know, the white house is very clear. they are not going to give on that increase on tax rates. that's where the fight will take place over the mechanics few weeks. >> we'll see if there's any

republican reaction to the president's plan there because, obviously, he is using all the tools that he has to push forward his plan. we'll see how they come up with the alternative. thanks, jess. we're iffing to get back to you in a bit. the new united opposition in syria may be on the verge of gaining a very important diplomatic reward from the united states. we have that story. the update of what is taking place in syria. up ahead. less. that's one smart board. what else does it do, reverse gravity? [ laughs ] [ laughs ] [ whooshing ] tell me about it. why am i not going anywhere? you don't believe hard enough. a smarter way to shop around. now that's progressive. call or click today. [ grunting ] oh, let me guess --ou see this? more washington gridlock. no, it's worse -- look, our taxes are about to go up. not the taxes on our dividends though, right?

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no internet no, e-mail, no cell phone service. that is what most the people in syria, they are actually dealing with this. this is the second straight day in a row. it was all suddenly cut off. no explanation. just a short message from the government that said they are actually trying to fix this. heel city council manage to upload videos of battle damage in damascus. you can see this video here. this is evidence they say that

the syrian military is destroying the central telephone office. can you see the bullet holes in the crumpled walls. syrian air force fighter jets shot across the sky over damascus. you see it there. witnesses are telling us about heavy fighting on the airport there. all commercial flights in and out of damascus are grounded for now. more than 30 people are reportedly killed today across syria. the opposition says about 40,000 people have died in this country's civil war, but today the obama administration is considering just how far they're going to try to step in to stop this. jill dougherty has the story. >> reporter: with european partners like france and great britain recognizing the syrian opposition as the legitimate representative of the syrian people, the u.s. is moving closer is taking that same step.

>> but administration officials tell cnn no decision has been made yet. discussions are still ongoing within the administration. in two weeks there will be a friends of syria meeting in morocco, and a senior administration official says that is an opportunity for the opposition. they know the world is going to be seeing them at the meeting, so we'll just have to see how much progress they make between now and then. progress, as the u.s. defines it, includes creating a leadership structure. something the opposition already is doing and local committees. >> many of them are now starting to take up the slack where government has receded, where the regime is no longer able to provide services. everything from trash collection to insuring that there's no vigilante justice. we're watching those developments as wrl.

the administration is deliberating whether or not to arm the opposition. >> providing arms to the opposition, will it convince the people who support assad. many many cases they are afraid of their own existence, or will it simply lead to more fighting? >> they're going to have to guard against if they're going to be successful. jill dougherty, cnn, the state department. it was an historic vote. the united nations general assembly overwhelmingly backing a resolution to upgrade the status of palestinians, so why is the u.s. government dead set against this? we'll show you why.

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>> celebrations, palestinians partying late into the night after winning a status upgrade at the united nations. the palestinian see the moan vote as an important step towards statehood. the celebrations we can see here, this is the west bank. the conflict there between israel and hamas had nothing to do with yesterday's vote at the u.n. where mahmoud abbas won his bid for the upgrade here. here's how the vote came down. >> the voting has been completed. please log the machine. 138 countries voted yes, and there were only nine no's. you and i have been talking about this the last couple of days anticipating that this was going to happen here.

this was a big blow to the united states and israel that warned, look, don't go there, don't do this, and we heard from the ambassador, u.s. ambassador to u.n. susan rice immediately after the vote. i want you to see what she said. >> today's unfortunate and counter productive resolution places further obstacles in the path to peace. that is where the united states voted against it. today's grand pronouncements will soon fade, and the palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed. >> how is it all these other countries, how is it that the -- the united states got it right here? >> mrs. rice is correct. ms. rice is correct, and in terms of -- it's not going to be a sea change on the ground.

it could be a forever gone conclusion, but as i talk to analysts, 95% of the world voted here. not for mahmoud abbas. they voted for two-state solution. essentially on the 1967 borders. they voted for that vision. it was the united states, israel, and a smaterring of very small countries. >> what -- >> plus canada. >> what does this mean practically for the palestinian people? does it give them any power? does it move this process forward for them for statehood? >> are you talking about w this israelis today, pro-israeli analysts. they make it leer that the point of concern here is over membership m international -- the icc, the international criminal court. they could bring israeli politicians and military people to book or what they consider to be war crimes committed during the occupation, confiscation of

land, settlements on the west bank, and if they were to do that, then those generals, then those political figures wouldn't be able to travel. now, that's a big, you know, point for the israeli side. they're concerned about that. you have to remember that the palestinians do that, they, too, have their feet held to the fire. >> the israelis say they're not going to be speaking with the -- this doesn't mean anything, right? that the palestinians, they have to renounce violence. there's a whole host of requirements that they have to meet before they get to the negotiating table. >> palestinians say, you know, we have been ignored for the past 20 years during this whole oslo peace conference, this peace process. we've had seen nothing but settlement building which they thought was really barred under oslo. it was just the u.s. interpretation in support of the israelis that had allowed them to continue the settlements, and so the palestinians say how should this set us back? it can't set us back any more than we already are? we have no talks right now. there's a lot of people and they all voted in the u.n. yesterday

who want to see something done. they want all of this mess to end. >> how is this to the wraits? it's an embarrassment to the obama administration? you had secretary clinton who warned abbas not to do this. >> the u.s. isn't going to break with israel. we both know that. right or wrong. the u.s. isn't going to break with israel, and so they were there to support them, and we expected that. at the same time there has to be a long, hard think about how to push this process forward. a two-state solution. >> all right. jim clancy, thank you. appreciate it. we have breaking news. an explosion just outside rocking social security administration building. this is in casa grande, arizona. it's halfway between phoenix and tucson, arizona. you're looking at pictures. this is from our affiliate kpho. we are told that this blast was caused by a device that actually detonated at the rear of this building. that is according to the local

police department. it happened around 8:15 in the morning. you're taking a look at some of the aerials here around this building. this is a building that actually houses many and several other downtown businesses. we understand that those businesses have been evacuated. now, so far there are no reports of anybody being injured. we don't know what type of device this is. it's not been yet determined. there is an investigation that is going on there, but you can see some of the damage there. as we take a look at the black coloring outside of the wall there from where that explosion actually occurred. this is casa grande, arizona. it housed several different businesses, and no injuries were reported. as soon as we get nor details, we'll go back to this. they call it grooming. this is men offering young girls 12, 13 years old alcohol and drugs in order to take advantage of them.

one family's frightening story. ?

to the u.k. a disturbing story about gangs that target underage girls for

sexual abuse. nine men were in court today in rushdale in northern england in one alleged incident. according to a new report, these cases are on the risz with thousands of british children affected each we're. here's the mother of one of these young victims. ♪ >> reporter: when her 12-year-old daughter went from pink hair clips to flashy gold earrings and track suits, diane says she thought it was just part of being a teenager. she had started hanging out with the wrong group of girls. occasionally skipping class, but diane didn't realize that her daughter was being targeted by a gang of men until police showed up at her door one night because one of her school friends had gone missing. diane, not her real name, agreed to talk to cnn on the condition we do not reveal her face or voice. >> they said that's -- that they would start off by giving them drink and greats, lifts in cars

and things and possibly going into giving them gifts. obviously, these were men, and my daughter was 13. it was just horrific to hear something like that. and seeing your daughter stood there and in pink girly pajamas and tears rolling down her face. then i just thought that was that then. that would be the end of it. it was just the beginning. >> the new report by britain's children's commissioner says as many as 45 children a day are targeted by so-called grooming gangs in britain. diane's daughter is just one example. men would pick her up from school, then dump her outside the family home incoherent from a mix of drugs and alcohol with stories of being passed around from man-to-man. she was 14 years old. but her attempts to get help from police and social workers were ignored, she says.

>> you know, what are these men, and i used to keep diaries with names of men, places where i knew they would be. >> did you give this information to the police? >> definitely, yes. >> what happened to them? >> nothing. they just said they would keep a log of it and just keep eepg diaries, and then once she got to the age of 15, because it was on and off with my daughter, they just used to say to me, don't worry, once she gets to 16, they won't want her. >> the gang that targeted diane's daughter were mostly asian men. police data shows that nearly one-third of reported grooming gangs are ethnically asian, a disproportionate number considering only 7% of britain is asian. the vast majority of offenders are white british males. diane feels there is a danger many focussing on only one ethnic profile. >> with my daughter it was racially motivated because of the mamz they used to call her. they used to call her white

trash and things like that. i've heard of white people and other communities. you it's, you know, it's not just one race. >> it only came to an end because her daughter became pregnant. >> one day she went out and they took her to another town. one of the guys kicked her in the stomach and found out she was pregnant. that was the last time she ever went out. she stayed in from that day. she said that's it, i'm not going. they are not harming the baby. >> her daughter had her baby and both now live at home with diane, but she says the men who abused her daughter are still out there, and she fears still grooming other young girls. atika shubert, cnn, london. u.s. house speaker john boehner is going to respond to president obama's latest comments over the stalemate on the fiscal cliff. we're iffing to bring it to you live as soon as he speaks. we'll take a quick break.

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let's go to washington. john boehner is reswrekting the president's michelle proposal involving the fiscal cliff. let's lisp in. >> the president in the coming days. during the campaign the president pledged to american people that he would seek a balanced approach to addressing the debt with a combination of new revenues and spending cuts. the day after the election i said the republican majority would accept new revenue as part of a balanced approach that includes real spending cuts and reforms. now, the white house took three weeks to respond with any kind of a proposal, and much to my disappointment, it wasn't a serious one. still, i'm willing to move forward in good faith. our original framework still stands. instead of raising tax rates, we can produce similar amount of

revenue, reforming the tax code to close loopholes and lower tax rates. it's far better for the economy when the american people paver on that approach by 2-1. they favor it eep more when we can also show them that real spending cuts will, in fact, reduce the deficit. now, there have been many conversations over the last couple of years that could inform a solution. i hope the president will draw from those discussions and work with both parties to find common ground. solving the fiscal cliff in a manner that addresses the true drivers of our debt and saves american jobs will be a great way for the president to start his second term. for the country and my colleagues, we're ready to work with the president to achieve those goals. >> mr. speaker, a couple things. first, on the issue of tax rate,

are you willing to accept no deal that includes some increase in those top tax rates? i'm also wondering what are final deadline on this is? how much longer can this back and forth go? when do we have to have a deal -- >> increasing tax rates draws money away from our economy that needs to be invested in our economy to put the american people back to work. it's the wrong approach. we're willing to put revenues on the table. revenues that come from closing loopholes, getting rid of special interest deductions, and not raising rates. we think it's better for the economy. pure and simple. secondly, the american people expect us to find common ground, to work together and to resolve this. frankly, sooner is better than later. >> you've been doing this for a long time and had many high-profile negotiation that is you've ended successfully. can you be candid here about where we are right now.

the past 24 hours is this the necessary public posturing that needs to go on to get an ending, or is there a serious stalemate right now? >> there's a stalemate. let's not kid ourselves. i'm not trying to make this more difficult. if you've watched me over the last three weeks, i've been very guarded in what i have to say because i don't want to make it harder for me or the president or members of both parties to be able to find common ground, but when i come out the day after the election, and make it clear that republicans will put revenue on the table, i took a great risk, and then the white house spends three weeks trying to develop a prepolicy and they send one up here that calls for $1.6 trillion in new taxes, calls for a little -- not even $400 billion in cuts and they want to have this extra spending that's actually greater than the amount they're willing to cut. i mean, it was not a serious

proposal. so right now we're almost nowhere. >> would you expect to speak to the president again? are there any meetings scheduled between and you the president? >> there are a lot of ideas that have been put on the table. we've had conversations, and i'm sure we'll continue to have conversations. >> do you think that the white house is trying to squeeze you, and if so, will it work? >> listen, most of you know me pretty well. what you see is what you get. while i may be affiable and someone that can work with members of both parties, which i have demonstrated over the 22 years that i have been here, i have also been rather determined to solve our spending problem and to solve this looming debt crisis that is about to consume us. >> what is it that republicans want exactly on entitlement reform? you keep saying the president needs to show the democrats' hand on this. what do you want to do in terms of medicare and how quickly do

you want those implemented? >> you can look at our budget from the last two years, and there are plenty of specific proposals, most of which were part of the conversation that the president and i had two years ago or a year and a half ago. there have been discussions about many of those same issues this time. there's a lot from the conversations that we've had to inform almost anybody the kind of proposals that we're looking for. >> even though -- even the paul ryan plan on medicare doesn't really take effect for years down the road. do you want something more immediate? >> i think the debt crisis that will be faced requires us to make serious decisions, and it requires us to make those decisions now. thank you all. >> house speaker john boehner essentially painting a rather pessimistic picture about negotiations going on at the white house, and with the president over avoiding the fiscal cliff saying the highlights here that there is a

stalemate, saying that this was not political posturing. also saying that the white house offer was not a serious proposal, which is not considered a serious proposal, and, finally, that he says we are almost nowhere when it comes to the talks on the fiscal cliff. we can have more details on just where they are. you've got 32 days or so before the possibility of these tax increases, as well as spending cuts to go into effect, and it is high stakes diplomacy, political posturing, as well as serious economic questions in terms of how this is going to impact all of us in the coming new year. we're going to have more on that after a quick break. bayer? this isn't just a headache. trust me, this is new bayer migraine. [ male announcer ] it's the power of aspirin plus more in a triple action formula to relieve your tough migraines. new bayer migraine formula.

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>> this is cmn newsroom. i'm suzanne malveaux. we're following the latest arguments in the fiscal cliff fight. president obama hitting the road to push his plan for avoiding the fiscal cliff. the president is taking his message now directly to the american people at a toy manufacturing company in pennsylvania. just the last hour or so. he urged workers to put pressure on congress. listen. >> if congress does nothing, every family in america will see their income taxes automatically go up on january 1st. every family. everybody here.

i'm assuming that doesn't sound too good for you. that's sort of like the lump of coal you get for christmas. that's a scrooge christmas. >> so here's the president's plan. the president's proposal calls for $1.6 trillion in new taxes. it includes $50 billion in new stimulus spending. it includes $400 billion in cuts to medicare and other entitlement programs to be worked out next year. republicans, they're calling this plan completely unbalanced, unrealistic. we just saw house speaker john boehner saying it's time for the froze get serious in this battle. i want to bring in dana bash. we saw speaker boehner there essentially saying that this is not a serious plan from the president. does he really believe that? >> yes, he really does believe that. you know, that was basically what my question was to him, suzanne, because when i asked him the fact that, you know, a lot of times what we have in

this kind of situation is public posturing so that each leader in the negotiations can signal to their base that they're at least trying before they actually come to the table privately and figure out a deal. i asked if that's what was going on here, or if we're in a serious stalemate, and the answer was without taking a breath serious stalemate. he said let's not kid ourselves. the proposal as you said that they got from the white house that you just laid out, they do not take seriously for a number of reasons. first and foremost, it is the thing that they clash the most on. philosophically, which is whether or not to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest americans. the president made clear again today he is not backing down on that. house speaker john boehner standing right here just moments ago made clear he simply doesn't think that this is going to work, and so there are a lot of other issues on the sidelines, but that right now is the number one issue. it has been for a while, but it was crystal clear in the last hour.

we also heard him say they are nowhere with talks with the president. what happens next? >> we are trying to get his answer to that dwe. you know, it's unclear what happens next. you could argue that the ball is in the republicans' court because it was the administration that came here. the secretary of the treasury, time geithner, came here yesterday and gave the republicans their proposal. if the republicans are saying, you know, we're not even going to take that seriously. i'm told by a private source that in the meeting with mitch mcconnell when timoney geithner handed him the proposal, he laughed and said this is not a serious proposal. that was in private. theoretically, the republicans have to respond, but, you know, who knows what's going to happen? now, historically, you know, this -- suzanne, you have covered the white house, and you have covered a lot of these kinds of negotiations. likely what could happen is that the speaker could get back on the phone with the president and then they could come up with another framework for moving forward, but right now as the speaker said, at this moment stalemate, which is not what the american people want to hear and certainly want what wall street

wants to hear. >> dana, the public negotiations that we're watching and the private ones, i'm sure you'll be all on top of those private talks that are going on with your sources. appreciate it. let us know if there are any breakthroughs that are going to take place. 32 days and counting. the fight over the fiscal cliff is having an affect on small businesses right now. just as congress, the people running those businesses, they're not agreeing on a solution, but poppy harlow, she's got the perspective from the folks who are suffering. >> if any company, any business did the method of accounting as the government sdshgs we would be in jail. >> you sound like you've had it? >> yes, basically i have. >> debt is a cancer. that's what bob told me when we met him at his limousine company in freehold, new jersey. stoo here's the reservations. staffed 24 hours a day. >> reporter: he started the business back in 1984. today he has a staff of 75. 53 cars. one big question. >> i just want congress to tell me to come up with what the

boundaries are so i know -- i know how to run my business. i know how to plan. >> he has laid off four employees in the last six months. he says the business made it through the stock market crash of 1987, the savings and loan crisis, and 9/11 with no decline in revenue until the financial crisis of 2008 and now this. >> could more layoffs be around the corner? >> absolutely. depends what happens. >> down the street charles is buying gold. >> a lot of people come in and bring in just basic scrap. >> he is a one man band in jewelry shop, and the business is so-so. >> the economy is supposed to be gradually getting better. >> that's what they tell us. >> you don't buy it? >> i don't see it. >> reporter: like everyone, he wants to see congress act to avoid the fiscal cliff and the tax hike that is come with it. >> what would tax increases mean for you in this business? >> on the gold buying end it might be goods. people are going to need to sell their gold to pay their taxes.

>> reporter: he also knows it would hurt his customers' buying power. he certainly doesn't want to pay more in taxes, but he is open to them. how far, he is adamant that's not the right solution. >> you have to spend less. >> two small businesses in the same small town staring at the same fiscal cliff. both with a message for washington. >> i would love for them to come here and just spend a day, spend a week just to know what small business goes to. >> do your job. make a decision. now, suzanne, the exception of just a few extra tax breaks, small businesses are pretty much taxed just like me and you, just like individuals. if we fall off that fiscal cliff, there is no doubt that their taxes are going to go up, but what might hurt them even more than increased taxes, the experts tell me, is less money in their customers' pockets because they're going to have less buying power, and it's really two-fold 230r these businesses. >> do we have any idea of how much their tacks would go up if this actually happens?

>> right. if we fall off the cliff, as you just heard from john boehner, we're nowhere near a solution in washington, souths a real possibility the tax policy center has made some estimates. what they're saying is if you are on the bottom tile of individuals or small businesses, making about $20,000 a year, your taxes would go up about $590. let's take the top 20% of individuals or small businesses making $108,000 or more. their taxes would go up at least $13,000 a year. the higher end is going to pay a lot more, but it's going to hit the whole spectrum, suzanne, and you know, what's interesting is that limo company owner, bob, he told me, look, poppy, if i'm running my business, working around the clock, and i'm not making much, 4% to 5% and i could make the same selling my business and putting that money in a portfolio, then i'm just going to sell my business. if he does that, there goes 75 jobs. that's the big issue here. >> this affects so many 350e78. this has to be avoided. i mean, you have -- they have to come together and work this out because you're right.

a lot of small businesses really just in a state o limbo at this point. poppy, thank you very much. really appreciate it. we're following a story, an explosion at the social security administration building. this is casa grande, arizona. that is halfway between phoenix and tucson. casa grande police say this explosion, this blast, was caused by a device that detonated at the rear of the building. you see the black markings there outside extensive damage to the doorway, to that car. there are several other businesses that are also inside of this facility. now, we've been told that everyone was up to evacuated. so far we don't know if there are any injuries at the time. >> here's what we're working on for this hour. >> the central park five. teens who served prison time for a crime they did not commit. why they confessed. a new documentary. we talk with sarah burns, who

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aspercreme. zirchlg the supreme court is considering whether or not to take on same-sex marriage. justices are meeting to decide if they're going to hear any of the ten appeals that are pending. now, a ruling by the high court could ultimately determine whether gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry. want to bring in joe johns to walk us through some of the options before the court, joe. if they do wade into this issue, one of the cases they can hear is the appeal of california's prop 8, the ballot metro that bans same-sex marriage. what's at stake? is. >> the first word is if, and so you have to reiterate that we don't know if that decision to take up this case is going to come today or even this term. it could and it might, and there's speculation that it will, but if the supreme court has anything, it's unpredictable, and on the proposition 8 case, there's a

specific question. can a state referendum abolish same-sex marriage after the courts have already ruled that it's legal? remember, that statewide vote to ban gay marriage was in response to courts in california legalizing same-sex marriage. assuming the supreme court sticks to this specific issue, it would have big implications for, say, california, but wouldn't necessarily be a sweeping ruling that would impact same-sex marriage all over the country. >> joe, talk a little bit about these cases that are challenging the federal defense of marriage act, known as doma. this is essentially the law that defines marriage between a man and a woman where there are some federal issues involved. what would be the implications if the supreme court actually ruled on this? >> doma, the defense of marriage act, these cases essentially have to do with federal benefits and whether couples in states where same-sex marriage is legal are eligible pour federal tax benefits, social security. it goes on and on.

it's the question is whether it's okay for the federal government to try to regulate marriage because throughout history marriage has been regulated by the states, so the system could look at the narrow question of federal power or broaden it out. it's really up to them to sort of determine the scope of the case. >> let's talk about those specific states because we have voters in maryland, maine, washington state that have approved same-sex marriage in the elections early this month, and you have nine states and d.c. where same-sex marriage is legal. how does the supreme court if it gets involved -- how does that impact folks in those states that said, look, we think this is proper and right? >> well, the supreme court historically has preferred to follow the country on a lot of issues and big issues, so take desegregation of public schools. that was brown versus the board of education. or interracial marriage. that was a case called loving versus virginia. they were very slow to move on some of these as they watched

the states move in one direction. that's when the supreme court finally moved. in this case you have something like 41 states that in one form or another have said no to same-sex marriage, so there's a question as to whether the country is ready. that is another reason that we're sort of looking at this and saying we'll see. >> i wonder if the court takes into account on the shifting views on all of this. i want you to check this out, this cmn national exit poll in november's election. 49% saying that same-sex marriage should be legal in their state, compared to 46% who said it should not. the public pretty much divided on this, but seems to be swaying towards approval. do they look at these kinds of things? >> not so much, i don't think, but, again, it's the question of where the country is moving and where the law is moving more than anything else. i would imagine if the supreme court were to take a poll, it would be a poll of the states and their legislatures to try to see what kinds of laws have

moved in one direction or another direction. as far as the public opinion polls, you know and i know, suzanne, they can change pretty rapidly and sometimes they do. >> all right. thank you, joe. appreciate it. we'll be following that case very closely. the united states might be winding down the war in afghanistan, but the pentagon says there is no plan to stop the fight against terror. anne's tablet called my phone. anne's tablet was chatting with a tablet in sydney... a desktop in zurich... and a telepresence room in brazil. the secure cloud helped us get some numbers from my assistant's pc in new york. and before i reached the top, the board meeting became a congrats we sold the company party. wait til my wife's phone hears about this. [ cellphone vibrating ] [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center, working together has never worked so well. you won't take our future. aids affects us all. even babies. chevron is working to stop mother-to-child transmission.

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sfwlirchlg this is out of casper college in wyoming. according to a spokesperson for the college, there's been a shooting that has taken place there on campus. the campus on lockdown. there are a couple of elements we have here. we're looking at a google map of where exactly this is. we understand there is also a campus website that is -- has an alert that is posted. an emergency alert that says all classes and activities are canceled until further notice. they are updating as they go. they say campus offices are open. campus travel is permitted, but what is happening here is that police have responded to an incident. a shooter that was on campus, we are told, from the spokesperson, they believe that this shooter is now dead, diocesed, but that before the shooter was killed,

they managed at least shoot one victim, a male student at the college. we actually don't know the condition of that student, whether or not that is a fatal injury. we do know, according to the spokesperson here, richard frigitta at the college that, the shooter has been killed and that there is at least one victim that has been injured from this shooting that took place earlier. the emergency alert at the college saying that classes and activities are canceled until further notice. there is at least to some degree a lockdown that is taking place on this campus as soon as we find out more information, we're going to bring that to you, but. the united states says it may be winding down on the war in afghanistan, but the penta says there is no plan to stop e fight against terror. cnn susan keis in washington. tell us what this means.

we understand that the u.s. war on terror is not going to be fought forever in afghanistan. certainly there is a much larger policy that is in place. >> just because you are seeing anistan doesn't mean that f the reason why theywent in, which is to go after al qaeda in the first place, has softened at all times. you know, that there are -- it's been the administration's consistent statement that al qaeda core has really been degraded. however, there is still a significant threat from its affiliates. aqim, al qaeda and the as well as al qaeda in the arabian peninsula operating in yemen. because joe jnson says this is an unconventional war where you d rrendeoc likr norm warsn the past, that y're going to continue to see a of those controversial tools used in this war.

one of those is the use of drones, particularly going after these members, and the use of detention, and that raises significant issues in the u.s. suzanne, we know that at least this whole idea on war on terror was something that president bush really pushed and pushed and pushed. president obama not so much. being a lot specific about who it is that we'r going after, specifically al qaeda and where they are in various countries. what are we learning in terms of details here? this is not this broad idea that we s that pte the president -- the former president bush? >> you're right. they're trying to get that message out that the al qaeda core, which operated in pakistan, is no longer a threat, but these affiliates rshgs and you are seeing them defend the mrerz that they're using against them, with those drones and the detention, but 12 years in, suzanne, it's a great question. what does this war end and how do you know it's over? johnson address thad too saying that basically there will come a tipping point at some point where the u.s. believes that they're no longer able, these al

qaeda affiliates to organize and launch missions that would attack united states interests around the world. that's going to be the point where this changes to something of a counterterrorism effort where individuals are targeted, and that was really interesting because it's very -- that's probably the most difficult question to answer right now. when does the war against al qaeda end? >> and, susan, what does this look like when you talk about this war on terror? when we look into the future, this unconventional war on terror and against al qaeda, how does it look differently than the past? >> you know, it doesn't necessarily look differently. it's more of a legal issue now. the use of drones is going to continue. the administration has shown no signs whatsoever of lightening up on that. in fact, drone strikes have been increasing. you know, also the detention issue. you know, you have people who have been held who you believe are dangerous threats, but they haven't been charged with anything. they haven't been tried with anything. i think you're going to see that continue, and this was really sort of a defense of the status quo more than telling us how it's going to be all resolved. >> all right. susan kelli, thank you very

much. appreciate it. five teens put in prison for a crime they did not commit. their compolling story is told in the new documentary "the central park five." one of the film's directors sarah burns, the daughter of director ken burns, she's going to join us live in just moments. and when you switch from another company to us, we even reward you for the time you spent there. genius. yeah, genius. you guys must have your own loyalty program, right? well, we have something. show her, tom. huh? you should see november! oh, yeah? giving you more. now that's progressive. call or click today. trying to find a better job can likbe frustrating.gs, so at university of phoenix we're working with a growing list of almost two thousand corporate partners - companies like microsoft, american red cross and adobe - to create options for you. not only that, we're using what we learn from these partners

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new york's mayor at the time, new york's city's mayor, called it the crime of the century. the brutal rape and beating of a woman who was jogging in central park back in 1989. the victim was a 28-year-old investment banker, and her courageous battle for survival made front page news around the world. also making headlines, the suspects in the case. five black and latino teenagers who were eventually convicted even though none of them did it. police got them to confess after turning them against each other during hours of interrogations. the case is recounted in a new documentary by filmmaker ken

burns called "the central park five." take a look. >> he salt down and said, look, ray, i know you didn't do anything wrong, but the other guys right now, they're in other precincts and saying that you did it. >> you're telling me, well, you're not saying nothing, but these guys put your name in it. >> i'm, like, i didn't do anything. he is, like, that's where i'm here to help you because i know you didn't do anything. you're a good kid. this isn't you. he pulls out this picture of care are a richardson, and he said do you know this kid? no, don't know him. see the scratch under his eye? that came from the woman. we know he did it. he is going down. >> at this point i'm, like, you know, i don't know these guys that's there, so i'm just going to make up something and include these guys' names. >> okay. if, you know -- if you are going to do it to me, then i'm going

to do it to you. >> a serial rapist confessed to the crime 13 years after the attack. his dna matched, and the five teens' convictions, they were vacated. joining us from new york, sarah burns, she is co-director of the movie and author of the book that inspired it. sarah also happens to be the daughter of ken burns. sarah, so good to see you, and so glad that you brought this story, again, to light. i remember it very well. this was something that a lot of people were captivated by. it was a very painful time, a chapter in our lives, i think. especially when it came to race relations. explain to our viewers how it was that you had these guys who confessed. there was no physical evidence. they confessed. they were not guilty, and, yet, a lot of people in the community were quick to simply accept that they were guilty. >> right. i mean, the only evidence that was presented against them were these statements that had he had given, and they ultimately gave these videotape statements which proved to be very convincing.

the problem was, as you said, there was no evidence. the dna tests were negative, and i think that the fact that people were so quick to believe that they had done it, this story that police had concocted and provided to the press had a lot to do at the time. as you said, the city was very different in those days, and people were afraid. the crime rates were higher, and it seemed like a scary place. i think that people were particularly afraid of minority teenage boys in particular. so these kids who were 14, 15, and 16 somehow seemed like exactly the thing that people feared, and it made sense to hem even though there was no evidence. >> why did they confess? i mean, you do such an extraordinary job in this documentary for them to explain how it is they got into all of this. why did they say they did something they didn't do? >> when i first started researching this story, it was the first thing i had to look at because i needed to understand

for myself how it could happen because it's irrationale. it doesn't make sense, and it's easy for us to sit back and say, well, i would never admit to something i didn't do, but the dynamics that happened in that interrogation room are so intense and there's such a huge power differential between the defectives and these terrified young men, and what happens is a little bit what you saw in the clip where they're sort of played against each other, and they're made to believe that they can be witnesses and that they'll be able to go home if they just tell the police what they want to hear, and ultimately, they believed that. they were naive about the system. none of them had been arrested before or had any contact with the police, and so they didn't know that they should be invoking their rights, that they should be asking for a lawyer or not agreeing to make these statements. >> i want to play a clip for our viewers here. you actually captured the man who attacked the jogger who nearly died confessing on camera. let's listen in. let's watch.

>> the treatment, and they were dragged in it. she just kept and hitting my head. she's in pain and all that. i can't explain to you what happened after i left that park that night, but i can guarantee you that there was no way these kids had any idea where she was coming from. i'm the one that did this. >> that's a pretty chilling when you listen to that. you had those -- the five young men who were wrongly convicted there at the screenings of the film. what was their reaction to hearing this confession? >> well, i think for them -- i mean, they -- you know, they first heard that the actual

perpetrator had come forward in 2002, and it was on the basis of that confession that the convictions were vacated. the recording that you hear there in the film is one that he gave actually to a private investigator that we were able to dig up. we had hoped to interview reyes for our film, and he wouldn't give us that interview ultimately, but we felt it was so important to show him or hear him confessing. we didn't want there to be any question. we didn't set out to make this film aa who done it. it was about how did this happen? i think that for the five to get a chance to hear him saying that he did it and that he did it alone is, you know, vindicating for them. >> what was it like to work with them? >> it's been an amazing journey. i have been telling the story for almost a decade. i started by writing my undergraduate thesis about it. then wrote the book. over the course of writing the book i had done many, many interviews with them. i really got to know them, and i think i got them to open up a little bit more as they got more

comfortable with telling their stories, which they never really have been asked to do before. i mean, as you said, this was a huge story, but people didn't really know them as individuals. >> sarah, finally, were you able to talk with the victim, the young william who had been raped so long ago and how she is coping and how she has survived in her life as well? >> we did speak to her early on in the hopes that she would grant us an interview, and we understand why she declined. she's -- her name is trisha miley, and she has herself written a book about her extraordinary recovery, and so she's really chosen to focus more on how she came back from this traumatic brain injury that nearly killed her. >> all right. sarah burns, very powerful work. thank you so much. we really appreciate it. it's something that everybody should watch. thank you. an act of kindness. this is a police officer who sees a barefoot homeless man, and he buys him a pair of boots. he talked with us about why. for your needs. osin

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this is a moment that has caught a lot of attention here. a homeless man sitting on a sidewalk in manhattan. he is barefoot. he is in the cold, but a policeman sees him, buys him a pair of boots. the officer appeared earlier today on cnn and explained how that homeless man reacted. >> he was extremely thankful. he had a smile from ear to ear, which is something i'll never forget, and he said, you know, thank you, officer. he is, like, god bless you and be safe out there, and he just kept on going on his way. i had asked him if he wanted to get a cup of coffee and food, but he didn't want to, and he just kept on going. >> it was a tourist from arizona, jennifer foster, who took a photo of that moment, e-mailed it to nypd. more than a million and a half people have actually seen this on the facebook page. we know at least one of the lucky two winners of that record

$580 million powerball jackpot. he is mark hill, 52-year-old mechanic from missouri. he bought the lucky ticket at a store in dearborn, missouri. that is outside kansas city. second winning ticket was bought at a food mart near phoenix. ryan todd live at the exxon station in maryland. why are you in maryland? the arizona guy, he is actually in maryland? how did that work? >> reporter: well, suzanne, we're trying to put all these clues together. he is a mystery man at the moment. we believe, we believe, he may be the arizona winner. he was here yesterday at this store in upper marlboro, maryland, about midday, around 1:00. he comes in. surveillance video captures him coming in taking out his lottery tickets, checking them, asking the clerk to print out, i guess, something that would verify some kind of a copy from the machine in here, and the videotape shows him checking it and then asking the manager here again if this is a match, and the manager tells us that, yes, he told him it was a match, and on the videotape you see the guy

exalting. he is checking it against -- is he asking witnesses there to kind of help him match it just to get another set of eyes on the ticket. then he is kind of hurridly and excitedly exiting the store. he said he front of to get his gas he was so excited, and then he cam back in here. we cannot confirm who he is right now. we're trying to put all that together. looking at video of the man's appearance and other things like that. there is something on his jacket that indicates he may, may, work for the virginia department of transportation because of the logo on his jacket. >> right. >> they say that it does look like one of their jackets, but they don't have an id on the man. that's what we know right now. >> it's kind of funny actually to watch him. the fact that we get to see somebody like literally at the time of discovering the winning ticket, and he is running around. you also talked to the -- you talked to the gas station cashier who was on duty at that arizona shop there? >> well, we talked to the cashier in here, and about the man when he came in, and what

his behavior was like. he had kind of a funny story to tell about the man's reaction. take a listen. >> he said oh, my god. i'm scared. i'm scared. i go back. what happened? he said can you believe that? i hit the powerball. i'm shocked. what did you say? i hit the powerball. i couldn't believe it. you want to see my number? sure. he gave me the ticket. he is holding it. he just showed me the numbers. he gave me the ticket with the result, same number of his ticket of the result. >> so i guess the man could be excused for getting a little bit excited and pounding the counter. who wouldn't do that if you got that kind of a ticket? if you can confirm it, that's the one thing. suzanne, we have to reiterate, we're not sure if this is the guy. we think it may be, but we resident have not confirmed that yet. i just spoke with a arizona lottery official a short time ago, and she says no one has come forward to redeem the winning ticket in arizona.

it was bought at a convenience store near phoenix. no one has come forward to redeem that ticket. 180 days they have to do it, and they have to do it in arizona or she said they could mail it, but that's unlikely. they very likely will not mail the ticket in. that this gentleman maybe he is on his way to arizona. >> can you bet there are a whole bunch of journalists looking at that tape and trying to find that guy. thank you. appreciate it. thanks again. we'll go live to syria straight after a quick break. oh no, not a migraine now. try this... bayer? this isn't just a headache. trust me, this is new bayer migraine. [ male announcer ] it's the power of aspirin plus more in a triple action formula to relieve your tough migraines. new bayer migraine formula. you can stay in and share something...

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>> no e-mail no, cell phone service, that is what most of folks in syria are dealing with now. this is a second straight day in a row. it was all suddenly cut off. no explanation. just a short message from the government saying they're actually trying to fix this. some folks say some managed upload what we were seeing here. battle damage in damascus. this is evidence, they say, of the syrian military destroying

the central telephone office. you see the walls there. also today syrian air force fighter jets shot over the sky over damascus. witnesses are telling us about heavy fighting near the main airport. that all commercial flights in and out of damascus are grounded for now. i want to -- arwa damon is joining us from syria. arwa, what are you seeing from your vantage point there? what is going on? are people able to communicate? are they panicked? >> they are not able to communicate and that is providing -- creating, rather, the obvious challenges. not to mention just people want to communicate to their families, make sure that they're okay. also, for opposition activists who naturally rely on the internet to upload those youtube videos and for the rebel fighters themselves because they do not have sophisticated military technology. long range radios, for example,

and so oven times they use cell phones to insure that certain routes are still secure. this most certainly is having a very devastating impact creating a lot more challenges on the ground here in syria. you know, we are in the northern part of the province. we're in aleppo earlier today where people -- to add to the long list of difficulties that they face on a day to day basis are now facing these ongoing outages as well. >> arwa, how are you able to communicate? >> we have our own technology that's independent of the syrian network. that is allowing us to come up on-line. we have satellite phones. the vast majority of people who have already been suffering so much are really very cut off from one another.

>> how do they manage to warn people about what is going on in their city? >> that's video we shot earlier today in aleppo in a neighborhood. this is the first neighborhood we were told that was -- that fell to the rebel forces that, fell to the free syrian army. around three weeks ago residents said they began to trekle in. we saw families picking through rubble. we saw some people trying to do simple things like repair electric lines. others waiting in line for bread for three hours. one young woman we met was telling us. this is just an indication of what people have to go through because she said that even though she was afraid, she had no choice but to wait in line because she has three children to feed and her husband had to stay at home because he was wounded when, in fact, the family came back to this

neighborhood thinking that it was safe. we also met a little boy who was collecting water from a water main. one of the water mains that had been hit in an air strike very recently because their water supply was cut off. he, too, had his hand in a sling because he had been wounded in the village that the family had actually fled to for safety. even though in this one particular neighborhood we're beginning to see these families coming back, it is still very much of a gamble, though, but it is winter. when they're not at home or incredibly difficult, they're all either piled in to a single room or they're having to live in tents so now they're being forced to effectively take this gamble, come back to what is, yes, perhaps relative safety, but at the same time nothing is guaranteed. >> and they're coming back. we're seeing the pictures that you shot earlier. they're coming back into this neighborhood. you're looking at bombed out buildings. very devastating conditions in which to live.

sdo they feel they're making progress towards the government? how do they assess what is happening to them? >> the overall sense is that, yes, the rebels are daily pretty much making gains against the regime's forces. we're hearing from some of the commanders that in many instances they do have the syrian military base that is are in aleppo province entirely encircled, and they are claiming that the regime does not control 85% of the city. that being said, there's still a constant threat from the air. the regime obviously still has the superior airpower. for many of the residents that we were speaking to today, it really has all boiled down to one thing, and that is day to day survival. they have been through so much already, and there are challenges in just getting

bread, getting food. prices have increased significantly. bread prices, for example, at this one bakery had gone up two-fold, and other instances it's even more. when you ask them about the future, all they can say is god willing, things will get better. beyond that, there's not much that they can do except try to get themselves and their families by on a day to day basis. >> arwa, we appreciate that. we're able to contact you and get ahold of you too. you are on the ground, and are you really the lifeline to a lot of people there to tell their story, and we appreciate that. obviously we'll be checking back with you as well as you travel through those cities and talk to those families. thanks again, arwa. we'll take a quick break and have more. can your moisturizer do that? [ female announcer ] dermatologist recommended aveeno has an oat formula, now proven to build a moisture reserve, so skin can replenish itself. that's healthy skin for life. only from aveeno. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 you know, the one that's been lying around. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550

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we're updating a breaking news story this hour. police have responded to a shooting on the campus of it casper college, in casper, wyoming. richard fujita is a spokesman for the college.

he confirms there was a shooting on the campus. he says at least one person, a male student, was actually shot. there is -- we don't know yet of his condition. the spokesperson says he believes that the shooter is dead and this is a community college. you see the website there, emergency alert, that is alerting all classes and activities canceled for the day, about 5,000 students or so at that community college. but, again, we understand the very latest is that there is at least one injury, one victim, and that the shooter has, in fact, been killed. we're going to bring you more information as we get it. there also has been an explosion at the social security administration building in casa grande, arizona, between phoenix and tucson. casa grande police say the blast was caused by a device at the rear of the building you're seeing there. extensive damage to the doorway and the car outside. there are several businesses that are actually inside of that building. everybody was evacuated from

what we understand. and no word yet on whether or not anybody was injured. we're going to also continue to watch that as well. and take a look at this, this wreckage, a freight train carrying toxic chemicals that derailed in southern new jersey. this is the town of paulsboro. at least one of the train cars is leaking toxins into the creek near the delaware river. now, authorities say most of the danger has passed. it is an accident that happened this morning. this railroad bridge actually collapsed. you can see there the aftermath of all of this. you had schools that were close by where they were quickly put on lockdown. and the folks in the immediate area were all evacuated. also an update on the criminal case against army private bradley manning. he is the american soldier accused of leaking classified government documents to the website wikileaks. well, he's been cross-examined today as part of a pretrial hearing. now, manning was on the stand for several hours yesterday,

describing how he was treated, how he says he was treated in military custody. he told the court that he considered killing himself. manning was arrested two years ago and his court-martial is now set to begin next year. if convicted of stealing classified material, could face a life sentence. and nasa making a big discovery on the smallest planet in our solar system. that next. today on the help desk, we're helping you tackle multiple sources of debt. with me are liz miller and greg mcbride. liz, here is a question for you. >> my husband and i are still paying off home loan, and we have got some credit card debt. the credit card debt is higher. is it best to pay more on the house or to get rid of the credit card debt first? >> evthis actually is an easy o, i think.

it is absolutely the credit card debt. it is by far the highest interest rate and most interest rates on home loans right now are quite reasonable and even more so, most people get an interest rate deduction on their taxes for that mortgage interest. so you want to extend that, particularly at today's low rates as long as you can and pay down that credit card debt. >> a lot of people are in such a rush to pay off their mortgage, is that such a smart move? >> it is a low financial priority when you factor in the low rates and the tax deduction that liz was talking about. there are a lot of other financial fish you can fry even if you don't have other debts. make sure you have an adequate emergency savings account, put moneyaw away for your kids' college. the money you pay into the mortgage, you can't get to it if you need it in an emergency. >> milk your mortgage as long as you can, i guess. thanks. if you have an issue you want our experts to tackle, upload a 30-second video to ireport.com.

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nasa makes a big discovery on the smallest planet in the solar system, mercury. the closest planet to the sun, should be a boiling inferno, right?orbiting the planet sent back proof there is ice there, ice water. scientists believed that part of mercury was icy, but new evidence now confirms it. we began the week introducing you to a new member of our show team family, little declan, born to our senior producer katie baritone and we got two more additions, don, nola amanda and gilbert james glen. they're the twin daughter and son of cnn anchor, our fellow